Drive for transit concrete mixers



July 26, 1927. 1,636,926

c. L. REYNOLDS DRIVE FOR TRANSIT CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,636,926 y 1927- c, L.- REYNOLDS DRIVE FOR TRANSIT CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Oct. 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, 1927.

1,636,926 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. REYNOLDS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM E. SMITH, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

DRIVE FOR TRANSIT CONCRETE MIXERS.

Application filed October 20, 1926. Serial No. 142,874.

My invention relates to transit concrete mixers, that is, mixers which are arranged to receive a load of aggregates, cement and water at a supply source, for the transport to a job, transforming them en route, or upon arriva1, into mixed concrete, ready for use.

Such mixers employ the power of the engine of the automobile truck upon which they are mounted, to revolve a IIllXlIlg element, as a drum or series of paddles, at will. They ordinarily have the drum or like container mounted upon a dumping frame, whereby the finished mixture may be expeditiously dumped by gravity, ass1sted perhaps by the rotation of the'mixenelement, and it has been found highly deslrable to rotate such a mixer element while the dumping frame upon which it is supported is tilted, to completely cleanse it. Owing to the high angle to which such a contalner must frequently be tilted to remove the wet, clinging mixture, ordinary drive means have proven ineffective. It is my chief ob ect, therefore, to provide a drive means for such a driven mixer element, mounted upon a tiltable dumping frame, whereby it may be driven from the engine, mounted upon the chassis, atany angle to which it may be tilted, and whereby it may be driven during the tilting operation, as the dumping progresses.

A further object is the provision of a drive for such a mixer which is simple, which is easily controlled, and one in which provision is made for accommodating the inherent back-lash developed in the mixer drum when immediately after forward revolution is halted, it tends to rotate backwards, due to the unbalanced condition of the materials within.

A further object'is the provision of drive means for such a mixer permitting the application'of the drive at any point in the length of the drum itself, or permitting such application at a plurality of points.

My invention comprises the novel parts and the novel combinations and arrangements thereof, as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and more particularly as defined in the claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown two alternative forms of my invention.

taken from the shaft 30 by Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear end .of an automobile truck with my invention mounted thereon, the near wheel of the truck being omitted.

F'gure 2 is a section substantially on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an axial section along the pivot axis of the dumping frame.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, I

showing an alternative form of drive for the mixer.

Figure 5 is a plan view substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation along the line 66 of Figure 5, showing parts in the positions they would assume with the mixer partly elevated.

It will be understood that the invention is chiefly concerned with the manner in which a mixer element, as for example a drum 1, which is mounted upon a dumping frame 2, may be driven from a motor, of which the rear end 31 is shown, mounted upon the chassis 3 of an automobile truck, or from a shaft 30 or a power take-off, usually provided on heavy-duty trucks, the drive being through the pivot axis 20 of the dumping frame 2 upon the chassis 3 in such a manner that rotation of the mixer drum 1 may continue during dumping and at any dumping angle, as well as during the time when the mixer drum sets level upon the chassis.

Different makes of trucks will necessitate different power take-offs. Inthe particular type of truck illustrated, the transmission is enclosed within a casing 32, set amidships of the truck and connected by the shaft 30 with the motor shaft. The truck is then provided with a propeller shaft 33 connecting the transmission within the housing 32 to a differential contained within the housing 34 on the rear axle of the truck. In other makes of truck the transmission housing may be continuous with the motor casing.

In the form shown the suitable means, such as the sprocket 35 upon the shaft 30 connecting by a chain 42 with the sprocket 41 upon a shaft 4, which is journaled on the chassis 3, as illustrated at 36. Clutch ele ments 43 and 44 are provided, by means of which the sprocket 41 may be connected at will to rotate the shaft 4 or left loose thereon; a control lever 40 is illustrated as a conventional means of controlling the keyed-on power may be clutch element d3. By this, or any equivalent means, power is talren from the motor 31 and is delivered at the pivot 20 of the dumping frame 2 The miner element may liliEVilS-Q vary considerably in its characteristics. Paddles roin an open hopper have been proposed tor such a purpose, and drums rotating in cradle on the dumping frame, and provided with mixing bafiles, as indicated at 10 in Figure 2, have also been proposed. illither may be e iployed so as the presentinvention is concerned, although only the revolving drum type has illustrated herein,

The drum is provided with two or more annular tracks 11, secured thereto, and rollers 12 mounted in stanchions 13 or like framework, support and i i the shell though their engagement sne flanged tracks 11. Thus is the revoluble drum 1 cradled upon the dumpin frame 2. As illustrated, particularly in ures l and l, a water tank 5 is supported from the stanchions l3 and is connected by a pipe 51 to the interior oil the drum, preferably through ts for aid end. fl. valve controls coinnninication hetiveenthe Water tank and the Krior oi the drum. The dumping frame arr ged for tilting by suitable means ,s e denending arm 21, to which is rec lftlulfi 22 leadi. to an upright ist (not sh Wu). This type of construction and drive lends itself readily to an under-body hoist, which may he employed desired,

in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the drive for the drum 1 has been shorvn as a Worm and pinion drive, the "WOIHE 6 being suitably secured to the drum 1, by the bolts tilt, and meshing with a vvorm pinion journaled eoanially With the pivot axis 20 of the dumping frame 2. As is best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pivot axis is illustrated as a rod 20 extending through the dumping frame 2 near its rear end, and being received in brackets 37 secured upon the chassis 3. Elmploying such a construction, the pinion 60 is formed as a part of or heyed upon a sleeve 62, which sleeve, in addition to the pinion 60, has secured upon it a suitable means for taking povver from the longitudinal shalt 4.

Perhaps the most convenient drive means are simple bevel gears, a gear l5 being shown on the shalt d meshing vvith a gear 63 lieyed upon the sleeve 62. Collars 64: secured upon the pivot rod 20 take the end thrust in the sleeve till, it will he understood, oil course, that suitable anti-friction hearings may be employed at such points as they may Joe required, d may he underthe various gears may he tcod q p I ca ed iy or or run oath or ineaaao The drive shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3,

and which has just been described, is a simple drive connection and a most direct one from the engine to the drum 1. It has the disadvantage in certain types of mixtures that "the drum 1 may not roll backwards, inasmuch as the worm and pinion drive is not reversible. llt will be understood that the battles ll) cause the material to ride up on one side of the drum as the drum rotates, and when the rotation of the drum ceases, the tendency of this unbalanced load is to reverse the drum until the load lies substantially level,

in cases WllQl'Q this action of the load is serious factor, the drive shown in Figures 42, Sand 6 may be adopted, in this form a large sprocket 7- is secured to the drum 1 at any point in its length; in fact, two or more such sprockets may be employed it it is de sired to drive the drum at more than one point in its length. A smaller sprocket is secured upon a shaft '3'2, journaled at El upon the dumping frame 2, and the shaft T2 is arranged to be rotated through the pivot axis 20, as by means of bevel gears l3 and H. in this type of drive the bevel gear it replaces the WOIIH pinion 60 in the drive previously described and, as in the case of the pinion 60, the gear 7% is keyed to the sleeve 62, which is driven in the manner heretofore described or in any other suitable manner.

it will be understood, of course, that a chain '75 connects the sprockets 7 and Y0, and this chain inherently permits some slack and may, in addition, he provided with shear pins. Further, there being no irreversible connection between the drum 1 and the clutch dHd, any tendency for the drum to rotate in a reverse direction when the clutch referred to is thrown out, will merely cause the drum to rotate backwards until the materials Within have reached a level position.

it will now be clear that the drive from the motor to the drum through the pivot at 20 is operable at any angle of the dumping frame 2. ll; operates equally Well when the dumping frame lies on the chassis 3 as when it is tilted substantially perpendicular, as might at, times be required to dump a stid mix such as is used for paving. It will also vvorlr While the tilting is in progres, and hence by rotating the drum during tilting, the oafies 10 will assist in breaking up the mix and in cleansing the drum automatically. It will he understood, of course, that Elli) the delivery opening 15 at the end of the a movable mixer element supported upon said dumping frame, a rotary member coaxial with but movable independently of the pivot of said dumping frame, means operatively connecting said rotary member with the power source, and power transmission means operatively connecting said rotary member with said mixer element, and

- including a shaft journaled on the dumping frame.

2. The combination with a road vehicle having a source of ower mounted thereon, a dumping frame pivoted upon the vehicle frame, a mixer drum revolubly cradled upon said dumping frame, a rotary member journaled coaxially with but movable independently of the pivot means of said dumping frame, and power transmission means operatively connecting said power source to the drum, to revolve the latter, through said rotary member.

3. The combination with an automobile chassis, a, dumping frame pivoted thereon, a mixer drum revolubly supported upon said dumping frame, a sleeve journaled coaxially with but movable independently of the pivot of said dumping frame, means operatively connecting one end of said sleeve with the automobile engine to rotate the sleeve at will, and means associated with the opposite end of said sleeve and operatively connected to said drum to revolve the latter as the sleeve is rotated.

4. In a concrete mixer, in combination with u the chassis and the engine of an automobile,

a dumping frame, a transverse pivot rod connecting the rear ends of said chassis and said dumping'frame, a sleeve ournaled on said pivot rod, a mixer drum revolubly supconnection between said sleeve and said drum to revolve the latter, a longitudinal shaft journaled upon said chassis and opcratively connected to said sleeve, and means operatively connecting said shaft to the engine to revolve said drumv at will from the engine.

5. In a concrete mixer, in combination with the chassis and the engine of an automobile, a dumping frame pivoted thereon, a mixer drum revolubly supported upon said dumping frame, airotary member journaled coaxially with the pivot of said dumping frame, means operatively connecting the engine with said rotary member to rotate the latter at will, a shaft journaled upon said dumping frame and operatively connected to said rotary member, a sprocket wheel upon said shaft, a second sprocket wheel upon said drum, and a chainconnecting said sprocket wheels.

6. In ,a concrete mixer, in combination I with an automobile truck chassis and propelling mechanism, a dumping frame pivotally mounted upon the chassis, a mixer element revolubly cradled upon said dumping frame, and power transmission means including a shaft journaled upon said dumping frame, and operatively connectingthe propelling mechanism on the chassis with said mixer element on the dumping frame through the pivot axis of the dumping frame, but by independently movable means.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 13th day of August, 1926.

CHARLES L. REYNOLDS. 

